Apparatus for lubricating ammunition



T. H. EICKHOFF.

APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING AMMUNITION.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV-27, 19H. L35Q645, P ted Aug. 24,1920.

2 SHEETS-SligET l-.

T. H. EICKHOFF.

APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING AMMUNITION.

1 APPLICATION FILED Nov/27, 1917. 1,35@,645u

w 9 L \m M .1 n 4 9 H av? 0 MW w. m w m m E A w WM V A. u 2 m\@& F m Q m 2 .A w h v m T/wevna l time THEOJDORE H. E-XCKHOJEF, OF OLEVJELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPA'JLUS FOR LUBRICATING AMMUNITION.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 241., ll92t Application filed. November 27, 1917. Serial No. 20%,269.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, THEODORE'H. EICK- HOFF, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Lubricating Ammunition, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ordnance, and more particularly to firearms onguns adapted to employ cartridges or other types of ammunition having an outer shell or casing ter typ fitting into the firing chamber thereof. The invention is particularly intended to be utilized to introduce a lubricant, such as a powder or a fluid, gaseous or liquid, into the firing chamber or other part of the apparatus for the purpose of lubrication but in many of its aspects it may be utilized for other purposes. I

In the use of ordnance of the type employing cartridges or the like it has been found that the friction between the cartridge case and firing chamber gives rise to numerous difiiculties. In hand-operated guns this friction seriously interferes with the quick and easy handling or manipulation of the bolt. In rapid-fire and automatic guns the said friction frequently results in the head of a cartrid e case being pulled off, leaving the case stuc I in the firing chamber, or else results in the mechanism of the gun becoming jammed or otherwise rendered inoperative. Guns of the latter types maybe adjusted to exert a large force in extracting cartridge cases but inasmuch as friction between the cartridge cases and the firing chamber is quite variable the action of such guns even when adjusted for excessive friction is very erratic. I

While the faulty action above referred to is incident in a greater or lesser degree to guns of all types in which cartridges or the like are employed, it is particularly noticeable in guns of the type in which the residual pressure of the powder gases is utilized in ejecting the empty ammunition case from the firing chamber. An example of the late of gun is found in the patent to J. Blish, 1,131,319, granted March 9, 1915. A gun of this type must be adjusted with a fair degree of accuracy to the conditions of operation and if the conditions of operation change the action of the gun .is seriously interfered with. lhe variable frlction incident to unlubricated ammunition renders the I operation of such guns very uncertain, and Wholly unsatisfactory as is more or less generally known.

It has been proposed to lubricate cartrrdges at the time of manufacture or before be1ng distributed to the places of use but this practlce ives rise to such numerous and serious d1 culties that it has never been employed to any appreciable extent, especially for military purposes. Cartridges covered with a lubricant are liable to deterioration, the lubricant is likely to melt or deteriorate in hot weather, the cartridge cases become sticky and gummy, particles of dirt adhere to the cartridge and are carried into the firing chamber, etc. It has also been proposed to lubricate cartridges at the place of firing prior to the insertion of the cartridges into the gun but this has involved considerable time and trouble and has not been done to any appreciable extent except in practice shooting. The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid difliculties incident to hand-operated rifles, rapid-fire guns, au-

tomatic guns and other types of guns and firing chamber.

A further object of my invention is to lubricate the contacting surfaces of the ammunition cases and firing chamber automatically as by utilizing the force of an explosion in the firing chamber for the purpose, and preferably by utilizing the force of an explosion to effect the lubrication and not. .merely to control an auxiliary source of energy for efi'ecting the lubrication. A still .further object of the invention is to lubricate said contacting surfaces directly, as by applying lubricant directly to the firing chamber, and preferably without perforatingthe firing chamber. Another object is to distribute the lubricant over the said contacting surfaces in an unusually efficient manner and to this end I preferably provide ized condition.

of Fig.2;

.in Fi behin Still further objects of the invention, as for example attaining a pluraht which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of a portion of a rifle comprising one embodiment of my invention, the parts being shown in firing position;

F' 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showin t e parts in open or loading position;

ig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central section of one means for adjusting the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Flg. 2; m

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 66 Fig. 7 is a side view of the butt of the gun illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being shown in section; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 1. i

The particular embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings is mcorporated in a rifle similar to that now used in the United. States Army. In general this rifle comprises a stock 10, a barrel 11, a firing bolt or breech-block 12, a firing chamber 13,

. a butt 14, a breech-block retainer 15, and in the stock 10 immediately below the firin bolt 12 is disposed a magazine. The gun dif -v fers from the regulation Arm rifle inthat it is rendered automatic accor ing to the invention of J. Blish disclosed in the above mentioned Patent 1,131,319. As described in the said patent the breech-block retainer 15 slides vertically along a guideway which slopes downwardly and rearwardly. When the bolt 12 is in firing position as illustrated '1 the block 15 is forced upwardly the bolt by means of sprin 16. When an explosion takes place in the firing chamber 13 the rearward thrust of the explosion is transmitted through the bolt 12, and

block 15 to the guide behind block 15. As explained at length in the said Blish patent, the slope of the guideway for block 15, is such that the block is locked or clamped a ainst the guideway by the high pressure 0 an exploslon in the firing chamber while the block is forced downwardly along the sloping guideway against the action of spring 16 when the pressure of an explosion falls to a predetermined value. When the.

block is forced downwardly out of the path of the firing bolt the residual pressure in the chamber forces the firing bolt rearward ly and ejects the empty shell. Upon the advancement of the firing bolt 9. new cartridge is fed from the magazine into the firof the aforesaid objects concomitantly, Wlll be aping chamber and when the firing bolt reaches its foremost position the block 15 springs up behind it to lock it in position during firing. In accordance with certain objects of the present invention I provide means for lubricating the contacting surfaces of the cartridges and firing chamber and the particular means shown comprises a nozzle 17 disposed in the recess immediately in front of the ramp 18 and directly upwardly and forwardly toward the firing chamber 13. Lubricatlng material of any type which will reduce the friction between said surfaces, such as oil, powdered graphite, or even water, may be projected through the nozzle directly into the firing chamber. However, I preferably employ atomized oil and I "preferably atomizeand project it into the firing chamber in the manner now to be described.

At a suitable place, preferably within the gun, I provide a lubricant chamber which is arranged to communicate with the nozzle 17. In the drawings I have shown a cylindrical member 25 containing such a chamber 18 in the neck of thebutt 14, the chamber 18 communicating with the nozzle 17 through ducts 19, 20, 21, and 22.- The duct 19 may either be formed in the stock of the gun or be comprisedofa rubber or metal tube connecting with duct 20 asshown in Fig. 8. The duct. 20 comprises an axial opening in the left hand end of a pin 23 mounted transversely in the stock of the gun. The duct 21 leads from the inner end of duct 20 downwardly through the rear end of the stock, through the cylindrical member 25, and thence into a plug 24. The cylinder 25 is threaded into the rear end of the frame and into the forward end of the cylinder is threaded the plug 24. Inthe rear end of plug 24.- is 0 5 threaded a smaller screw plug 26. The duct 22 extends through the plugs 24 and 26.- Communicating with the duct 21 at a point in the rear of the forward end of duct 22 is a duct 27 (Fig. 2) which extends upwardly 110 to a duct 28 axially disposed in the right hand end of pin 23 (Fig. 8), the duct 28 communicating with a duct "29 extending upwardly to suitable fluid-pressure means.

When air is forced along ducts 29, 28, 27, 21, 115

20 and 19 lubricant is drawn through duct 22 from chamber 18 by the aspirating action of the airpassing the forward end of duct 22, the lubricant being atomized as it emerges from duct '22 into the current of 120 that the rear end of the duct 22 will be sub- 130 duct 28, the 1 25 aataeae merged in the usual positions of the gun and so that the length ofthe duct 22 will be comparatively short. I therefore make chamber 18 relatively small and provide a relatively large chambero32 for carrying a reserve supply of lubricant. The chamber 32 is formed in the rear end of the cylindrical member 25 and may be filled .through an opening in its rear end which is normally closed by the screw plug 33. The chamber 32 communicates with chamber 18 through ducts 34: disposed on opposite sides of the screw 35 which is employed to secure the butt to the stock. The ducts 34 extend into the upper portions of chambers 18 and 32. so that lubricant may not flow from chamber 18 to chamber 32 in the usual positions of the gun but so that lubricant may flow from chamber 32 to chamber 18 when the gun is pointed downwardly. The duct 22 preferably extends above the level of the lubricant in chamber 18 so that lubricant will not flow from chamber 18 through duct 21 in normal usage of the gun. The extent to which duct 22 extends upwardly may be varied tosuit the conditions of usage.

lib

According to the present invention, in certain of its aspects, the force of an explosion is utilized to introduce lubricant to the firing chamber and to this end I preferably employ fluid pressure derived from the force of an explosiion in the firing chamber. The best means of which I amat present aware for thus utilizing the pressure in the firing chamber will now be described.

, A cylinder and piston are mounted on a fixed portion of the gun and on the reciproeating bolt respectively, the two parts being disposed in alinement and in parallelism with the path of reciprocation of the bolt so that when the piston is reciprocated in the proper direction in the cylinder air is forced through the lubricating means to the firing chamber. In the drawings I have shown the piston 36 mounted in a cylindrical chamber or guard on the bolt 37 and the cylinder 38 mounted at the rear of the gun frame, but the parts may obviously be reversed. The cylinder 38 is surrounded by a caslng 39 into which the piston chamber 37 slidably fits. A compression spring 40 is disposed in chambers 37 and 39 around the piston and cylin der so as to urge the bolt 12 into its forward position. The duct 29 communicates with the rear end of cylinder 38 so that air is forced through ducts 29, 28,27, 21, 20 and 19 'when the piston is moved into the cylinder,

tit

source of energy controlled by the force of the explcsion. This is important for the reason that the system is thus rendered more sim le and reliable.

any ways of utilizing the force of an explosion for automatically lubricatin the contacting surfaces of a cartridge and ring chamber other than the particular way chosen for the purpose of illustration will occur to those skilled in the art, and I desire broadly to protect the various novel aspects of my invention.

" ll. claim:

1. Apparatus for lubricating the contacting surfaces between the firing chamber of a gun and ammunition supplied thereto, comprising a fluid chamber associated with the gun so that an explosion in the firing chamber creates a pressure in, the fluid chamber, and atomizer means actuated by the pressure in the fluid chamber for applymg atomized lubricant to one of said surfaces.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, a fluid chamber associated with the firing chamber so that an explosion in the firing chamber creates a pressure in the fluid chamber, and atomizer means actuated by the pressure in the fluid chamber for spraying lubricant into the firing chamber. v

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a breech closure, a firing chamber, a lubricant chamber, a duct extending between the two chambers, and means for transferring a portion of the power of an explosion in the firing chamber through said closure to the lubricant chamber to force lubricant'through said duct to the firing chamber.

4:. Apparatus for lubricating the contacting surfaces between a firing chamber and ammunition supplied thereto, comprising lubricating means including an atomizer for supplying atomized lubricant to one of said contacting surfaces prior to the insertion of the ammunition into the firing chamber, and means actuated by an explosion in the firing chamber for operating the lubricating means.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a breech closure, a firing'chamber, a lubricant chamber associated with the firing chamber, and fluid pressure means actuated by an explosion in the firing chamber acting through said closure for forcing lubricant to the firin chamber.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, holding means reciprocatably mounted behind the firing chamber for holding ammunition in the firing chamber, and means actuated by the reciprocatorymovement of said means for lubricating the firing chamber. 1

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, -a bolt, and means actuated by the retraction of the bolt for lubricating the firing chamber. V i

8. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, a bolt, a lubricant chamber, a duct extendin the'lubricant chamber and the firing chamber, and fluid-pressure'meansj'actuated by retraction of the bolt to force lubricant through said duct into the firing chamber.

9. Apparatus of the character described comprising a bolt, means for automatically retracting the bolt, and means controlled by the retraction of the bolt for lubricating the gun. I

10. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, a lubricant chamber, a duct extending between the two chambers, holding means movably mounted behind the firing chamber for holding a'mmunition in the firing chamber,-and fluidpressure means actuated by said holding means for forcing lubricant fromthe ,lubri-' cant chamber through said duct to the firing chamber and for atomizing the lubricant in transit to the firing chamber.

11. In a gun having means for lubricating the contacting surfaces between the firing chamber and ammunition supplied thereto, the combinationwith the breechblock for holding ammunition in the firing chamber, of means for'automatically re tracting the breech-block upon firing, and fluid-pressure means actuated by the movement of the breech-block for injectin a spray of lubricant into the firing cham er.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber a bolt for holding ammunition in the firing chamber, means for automatically retracting the bolt upon firing, fluid pressure means actuated by the bolt, a lubricantchamber, a duct'ex-' tending between the fluid-pressure means and firing chamber and communicating with the lubricant chamber so that lubricant is drawn from the lubricant chamber to the firing chamber when the boltis retracted.

13. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, a bolt for holding ammunition in the firing chamber, means for automatically retracting the bolt upon firing, and means including a piston and cylinder disposed in the rear of the bolt on the bolt and a stationary portion of the gun respectively, for injecting lubricant into the firing chamber upon movement of the bolt. p

14. Apparatus of the character described comprising a firing chamber, a bolt, means for automatically retracting the bolt upon between firing, a piston on the bolt, a cylinder the piston is reciprocated-in the cylinder.

Apparatus of the character described comprlsmg a stock, a main chamber in the I base of the stock, an auxiliary chamber in the neck of the-stock, a duct extending between the main chamber and the upper portioriof the auxiliary chamber, and means for drawing lubricant from the lower portion of the auxiliary chamber.

16. A gun comprising a lubricant chamber, a duct leading from the lubricant cham-v ber, said duct being continuously open, and

means for automaticalli ejecting lubricant through said duct to parts of the gun.

17. A gun comprising a frame member,

bricate a part or a bolt member reciprocatably mounted in a longitudinal chamber in said frame member,

one of said members having a cylinder extending along said chamber toward the other member, and the other member having a concentric guard and piston respectively extending along said chamber toward said one member, said piston being adapted to move along the inside and said guard along the outside of said cylinder upon the recoil of the bolt member.

18. A gun comprising a frame member,

. a bolt member reciprocatably mounted in a longitudinal chamber in sa1d frame member, one of said members having a cylinder extending along said chamber toward the other member, and the other member having a concentric guard and piston respectively extending along said chamber toward said one member, said piston being a apted to move along the inside and said guard along the outside of said cylinder upon the recoil of the bolt member, and arecoil spring extending around sa1d cylinder and within said guard.

19. A gun comprising a frame member, a bolt member reciprocatably mounted in a longitudinal chamber in sa1d frame member, one of said members having a cylinder extending along said chamber toward the other member, and the other member having a concentric guard and piston respectively extending along said chamber toward said one member, said piston being adapted to move along the inside and said guard along the outslde of said cylinder upon the recoil of the bolt member, and means conan automatic breech closure, a lubricant chamber, and means for absorbing the energy of recoil of said closure, sald means being arranged to utilize said energy to transmit lubricant from said lubricant chamber to a workingpart of the gun.

21. A gun comprising a firing chamber, an automatic breech closure, a lubricant chamber, air compressing means for absorbing the energy of recoil of said closure, and means arranged to utilize said energy to transmit lubricant from said chamber to a working part of the gun.

22. A gun comprising an automatic breech closure and means utilizing a part of the energy of recoil of the breech closure for lubricating a Working part of the gun, said means comprising a bufler arranged to.

stop the rearward movement of the breech closure.

23. A gun comprising an automatic breech closure and pneumatic means for absorbing the excess recoil energy of the closure and utilizing a part of the absorbed energy for supplyin 011 to the contacting surface between the ring chamber and ammunition.

24. A gun comprising an automat1 breech closure and a combined bufler andlubricator arranged to' stop the rearward movement of the closure and thereby transa Y mit lubricant to the firing chamber. I

25. A gun comprising a fluid duct, means for producing a flow of fluid through said duct, a lubricant chamber, and a lubricant duct connecting said lubricant chamber with said fluid duct so that said flow of fluid will automatically draw lubricant from said lubricant duct, said fluid duct being directed to a part of the gun thereby to lubricate 40 the part. 1

26. A gun comprising a fluid duct, means for producing a flow of fluid through said duct, a lubricant chamber, and a lubricant duct having a nozzle projectin into said fluid duct so that said flow o fluid will aspirate lubricant from said lubricant duct said fluid duct being directed to a part oi the gun thereby to lubricate the part.

27. A gun comprising a firing chamber, a ramp beneath the mouth of the firing chamber, and a fluid duct extending through said ramp to deliver fluid in the region of said mouth.

vSigned by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 16th dayof November, 1917.

- THEO. HI EIGKHOFF. 

